Products of Interest

Digidesign 003 Audio Interfaces and effects plug-ins, training tools, a mute switch. The Rack interface is
and RMS Reference Monitors and software applications. packaged with the Pro Tools Ignition
The other two products in the 003 Pack 2 and the Rack Factory includes
The new 003 edition of audio inter- range of interfaces have the same au- the Pro version of the Ignition Pack
faces from Digidesign offers the user dio input/output interface capabili- and the collection of Digidesign and
a choice of three high-resolution ties as the Factory unit but without Bomb Factory plug-ins. Digidesign
FireWire audio interfaces for use with the control surface functionality. The operates an upgrade program that of-
Pro Tools software. The 003 Factory Rack and Rack Factory both have fers discounts for Pro Tools LE users
is a control surface and interface (see two-unit rackmount bodies (see Fig- as well as users of third-party systems.
Figure 1). It features eight touch- ure 2). The controls are reduced to Digidesign has also announced the
sensitive motorized faders, eight four input gain controls, four high- release of the companys first moni-
motion-sensitive rotary encoders, pass filter switches, individual head- tors, the Reference Monitor Series
and a jog/shuttle wheel. Dedicated phone source and level controls, and (RMS). The company has teamed up
automation and transport control
buttons are available. Insert and
sends can be assigned from the con-
trol surface. A two-line LCD display
is included on each channel and a
five-segment LED display is used for
metering and displaying the automa-
tion status. The device can function
as a standalone MIDI controller and
can be easily switched between Pro
Tools and MIDI control.
Sampling rates up to 96 kHz at
24-bit resolution are supported, and
18 channels of audio input/output
can be used. The input/output ports
include eight analog inputs/outputs,
eight channels of ADAT optical in-
put/output or two channels of S/PDIF
optical input/output, two channels of
S/PDIF digital input/output, one Figure 1. The Digidesign
MIDI input, and two MIDI outputs. 003 Factory audio inter-
Four microphone preamplifiers are face and control surface.
included with individual gain control
and high-pass filter on each. Phantom
power is available on channel pairs. A
BNC Word Clock input/output is in-
cluded for synchronization. The
monitoring section features an alter-
native source input for monitoring
external devices and two headphone
outputs with individual source and
level controls. The Factory version of
the 003 is packaged with Digidesign
and Bomb Factory plug-ins worth
over US$ 3,000. Also included is the
Pro Tools Ignition Pack 2 Pro bundle, Figure 2. The Digidesign
which provides further instrument 003 Rack audio interface.

88 Computer Music Journal

with the UK Professional Monitor
Company (PMC) to create the RM1
and RM2. The RM1, the smaller of
the two monitors, features a 5.5-in.
low-frequency driver, and the larger
RM2 features a 6.7-in. driver. Both
have a 1-in. soft dome high-frequency
driver. Sample rates up to 96 kHz are
supported. The monitors feature an
onboard DSP engine, bass port emu-
lation, Class D amplifiers, a linear
power supply, and the PMC com-
panys Advanced Transmission Line
(ATL) technology. The ATL technol-
ogy is a combination of the cabinet
design, a proprietary drive unit and
crossover components, and patented
absorption materials. Digidesign in-
dicates that this technology reduces
distortion at high sound pressure lev-
els, maintaining an even frequency
response and defined bass frequen-
cies. The 48-bit fixed-point DSP en-
gine controls the digital crossover,
speaker placement settings, trim lev-
els, and the Bass Port Emulation set-
ting. The emulation mode can be
switched on and off and emulates the
tonal settings of ported bass reflex
speakers. This enables the user to
hear what a mix would sound like on
ported speakers. Both monitors use
analog-controlled 92% efficient Class
D amplifiers. The frequency response
of the RM1 is 50 Hz25 kHz and the
RM2 extends the low frequency limit
to 40 Hz. The signal-to-noise ratio is
125 dB and total harmonic distortion
with noise is 0.05 percent. Both mon-
itors output high frequencies at 50 W;
the RM1 can output low frequencies
at 80 W and the larger RM2, at 100 W.
Inputs are on digital XLR (AES 3), bal-
anced analog XLR input, AES digital
input on an RJ-45 connector, and an
AES digital THRU connector (also
RJ-45). High- and low-frequency con-
trols are adjustable from 4 dB to +3
dB in steps of 0.5 dB. A gain trim en-
coder allows the gain setting to be
modified from 0 dB to 16 dB in 1-dB
steps. The dimensions of the RM1 are
11.42 6.1 11.81 in. The RM2 mea-
sures 15.75 7.64 14.57 in. Full
specifications are available on the
product Web site.
The 003 Factory is listed for
US$ 2,495, the Rack for US$ 1,295,
and the Rack Factory for US$ 1,695.
The RM1 monitor is listed for
US$ 1,249 and the RM2 for US$ 1,749.
Contact: Digidesign, 2001 Junipero
Serra Boulevard, Daly City, Califor-
nia 94014-3886, USA; telephone (+1)
650-731-6300; fax (+1) 650-731-6399;
Web www.digidesign.com/.
Avant Electronics Avantone
MixCubes Monitors
Avant Electronics Avatone Mix-
Cubes were inspired by Auratones
5C Sound Cubes, a well-known
close-field monitor from the 1980s.
These single-driver 6.5-in. units are
shielded passive reference monitors.
The sealed cabinet contains a 5.25-in.
cast aluminum driver with a custom-
designed rigid and lightweight paper
and mica fiber cone. The top plate
and T-Yoke of the driver are made of
low carbon steel, and low distortion
motor magnets are used. The cabinet
itself uses high-rigidity MDF for the
sides and baffle to provide low reso-
nance. The corners and edges are
rounded to reduce edge diffraction,
and the base features a 7-mm thick
neoprene pad as a skid-resistant
acoustic isolator. Three-way nickel-
plated machined solid metal binding
posts are located on the rear panel of
the monitors. A recessed 5/8-in.
microphone stand mount is built
into the base of each.
The frequency response is 90 Hz
17 kHz. Nominal impedance is
8 ohms and the SPL is 93 dB at 1 W/m.
The monitors are shielded and so can
Products of Interest
be used in proximity to a CRT video
monitor or TV without interference
problems. They weigh 7 lbs. 2 oz. per
speaker.
The MixCubes monitors are listed
for US$ 199 each. Contact: Avant
Electronics, 1042 N. Mountain Av-
enue B495, Upland, California 91786,
USA; telephone (+1) 909-931-9061;
(+1) 909-949-8917; electronic mail
sales@avantelectronics.com; Web
www.avantelectronics.com/.
Mackie HRmk2 Active Studio
Monitors
Mackie has updated the companys
HR824 and HR624 studio loud-
speaker line with a set of two up-
dated THX-pm3-certified monitors.
The company has designed these
monitors for use with High Defini-
tion audio. A new Zero Edge Baffle
has been created from a single piece
of cast aluminum to minimize dif-
fraction. A passive radiator design is
also used along with the baffle to pro-
vide distortion-free bass down to 45
kHz. Even audio dispersion and clear
mid-range frequencies are achieved
by the use of an Optimized Wave-
guide and full internal damping. The
enclosure is a high-gloss black wood
cabinet and contributes to the
warm sound of the monitor. The
frequency response is described as
ultra-linear, with a wide even disper-
sion across all frequencies, and the
depth of field allows the mix to be
heard off- as well as on-axis. Controls
are provided for acoustic space, low
frequency, and high frequency. Bal-
anced XLR, TRS, and unbalanced
RCA connections are provided.
Both monitors feature a 1-in. tita-
nium dome ferrofluid-cooled tweeter.
The HR824mk2 monitor has an
8.75-in. high-precision, low-distortion
woofer with FR series amplifiers of
89
Figure 3. The Roland
SonicCell synthesizer.
150 W and 100 W for the low and
high frequencies respectively. The
smaller HR624mk2 monitor has a
6.7-in. woofer with 100W and 40 W
amplifiers.
The HR624mk2 is listed for
US$ 579.99 and the HR824mk2 for
US$ 779.99. Contact: LOUD Tech-
nologies, 16220 Wood-Red Road NE,
Woodinville, Washington 98072,
USA; telephone (+1) 425-892-6500;
fax (+1) 425-487-4337; Web
www.mackie.com/.
Roland SonicCell Synthesizer
Module with Audio Interface
The new Roland SonicCell is a sound
module, audio interface, and audio
player in one (see Figure 3). A new
waveform set has been created to
give 128 built-in voices for a range of
acoustic and percussion instruments.
A range of patches is saved in the
built-in preset memory and further
memory spaces are reserved for the
user. The unit includes two SRX ex-
pansion bays so that users can extend
90
the internal sound bank with addi-
tional Roland SRX expansion boards.
These optional expansion boards in-
clude a range of orchestral instru-
ments and pianos, along with pop and
dance collections. A number of ef-
fects are available including chorus,
reverberation, and a compressor on
the master output. Sampling rates up
to 24-bit/96 kHz are supported. A 128
64 dot electroluminescent (EL)
graphic display is located on the top
panel for navigating settings.
The SonicCell can also act as an
audio interface and connects to a
Macintosh or Windows computer us-
ing a USB port. The rear panel of the
unit includes line inputs, a combina-
tion guitar/microphone input, and a
MIDI input/output. Phantom power
is available on the microphone input.
The audio output is on 1/4-in. jack
connectors. Standard MIDI, WAV,
AIFF, and MP3 files can be played
back and Roland suggests that the
SonicCell can be used as a standalone
player using a USB memory stick to
store audio or MIDI files. The cabinet
measures 294 175 55 mm and
Computer Music Journal
weighs 1.2 kg. A software application
called Playback Editor is included for
creating playlists and a copy of Cake-
walks Sonar LE is also bundled with
the device.
Contact: Roland Corporation, 5100
South Eastern Avenue, Los Angeles,
California 90040-2938, USA; tele-
phone (+1) 323-890-3700; Web
www.roland.com/.
Arturia Jupiter-8V Software
Synthesizer
Arturia continues the release of soft-
ware versions of classic synthesizers
with this model of Rolands Jupiter 8
synthesizer from the 1980s. Accord-
ing to Arturia, among the notable fea-
tures of the original synthesizer were
a non-resonant high-pass filter, reso-
nant low-pass filter, an arpeggiator,
keyboard split, fast envelopes, and
precise oscillators. These features
have been implemented in the new
software synthesizer (see Figure 4)
along with a range of additional fea-
tures including a step sequencer and
a new Low Frequency Oscillator
(LFO) module known as the Galaxy.
The synthesizer provides up to 32
voices of polyphony and a unison
mode of operation. Two oscillators
per voice are available along with two
filters and two envelopes. The
Galaxy module offers a number of
different LFOs that the user can com-
bine to form a single modulation
source. The step sequencer can also
be used to modulate various audio
parameters. A range of effects is
available for use on each voice by in-
sertion into the signal path. These in-
clude a chorus/flanger, distortion,
parametric equalizer, phaser, and ring
modulation effect. A chorus/flanger,
delay, and dual phaser effect can also
be added to the synthesizer output.
More than 400 presets are included,
with a new Preset Manager provided
Figure 4. A screenshot of
the Jupiter-8V virtual syn-
thesizer interface.
for browsing. Arturias true analog
emulation (TAE) technology is used
to reproduce the characteristics of
analog filters, oscillators, and to add
soft clipping.
The software is compatible with
Macintosh and Windows operating
systems running on a computer with
512 MB RAM and a 1.5-GHz proces-
sor. A USB port is required for license
authorization using Synchrosoft. A
demonstration version of the synthe-
sizer is available from the product
Web site.
The Jupiter-8V is listed for US$ 249.
Contact: Arturia; electronic mail
sales@arturia.com; Web www
.arturia.com/.
Prism Sound Orpheus FireWire
Interface
The Orpheus from Prism Sound is a
professional FireWire interface that
features eight analog inputs/outputs
and ten digital inputs/outputs (see Fig-
ure 5). Most of the input ports are lo-
cated on the rear panel but there are
two electronically balanced instru-
ment inputs placed on the front panel
for easy access. The rear panel connec-
tors include four combination micro-
phone/line inputs on Neutrik jacks,
four analog line inputs on electroni-
cally balanced jacks, and eight analog
line outputs on electronically bal-
anced jacks. S/PDIF and ADAT digital
Products of Interest
input/output are also provided and
two MIDI inputs/outputs make the
unit MIDI compatible. A wordclock
input/output is included for synchro-
nization purposes and two FireWire
ports are included for connection to a
computer and for cascading interfaces.
Two headphone outputs with level
control are provided on the front
panel along with a master volume
control. Ten multi-segment LEDs are
used to display the eight analog and
two digital inputs/outputs. Eight
overkill indicators, and indicators for
digital lock, SRC active, synchroniza-
tion, and input selection are also in-
cluded here for visual feedback
relating to the main settings. The
91
Figure 5. The Prism Sound
Orpheus FireWire inter-
face.
Overkillers are Prism limiters used
on each channel to deal with fast
transients. The threshold of the lim-
iter follows the line level selection
and they are recommended for per-
cussive sounds. The SRC is a built-in
Sample Rate Conversion (SRC) tech-
nology available on the digital in-
put/output channels. This allows the
user to output audio to a range of ex-
ternal devices that use different sam-
pling rates and similarly allows audio
to be input at different sampling rates.
Further features of the interface in-
clude mid-side (MS) matrix mixing
on the microphone inputs, a propri-
etary digital phase-locked loop clock
generator, and Prisms super noise
shaping (SNS) curves that aim to
maintain signal quality at lower
sampling bit depth. Low-latency fold-
back for monitoring to headphones or
main outputs is supported using an
eight-bus digital mixer that is config-
urable from the controller applet in-
cluded with the interface unit. The
outputs are arranged as stereo pairs,
each with individual mixer. A fader,
pan, cut, and solo controls are avail-
able on every mixer channel. The
outputs can be configured as stereo or
5.1/7.1 surround sound.
The interface is a single rack-
mount unit. It is compatible with
Macintosh and Windows operating
systems. Full audio specifications for
the inputs and outputs are reported
on the product datasheet, which is
available for download from the com-
pany Web site.
The Orpheus is listed for
92
US$ $4,995.00. Contact: Prism Media
Products, 21 Pine Street, Rockaway,
New Jersey 07866, USA; telephone
(+1) 973-983-9577; fax (+1) 973-983-
9588; electronic mail sales@
prismsound.com; Web www
.prismsound.com/.
Antelope Audio Isochrone Clock
Series
The Isochrone clock series from An-
telope Audio consists of a master
clock, a video-enabled audio clock
generator, a regenerating distribution
amplifier, and an atomic master
clock (see Figure 6).
The Isochrone OCX, OCX-V, and
DA all use direct digital synthesis
(DDS)-based acoustically focused
clocking (AFC) technology. Igor
Levin, who first introduced this tech-
nology ten years ago in the Aardsync
master clock, has integrated it into
the Isochrone line of clocks. The
OCX is a master clock featuring an
oven controlled discrete transistor
crystal oscillator. The use of a
temperature-controlled oven for the
crystal, combined with discrete low-
noise transistors, provides four to ten
times lower jitter and up to 100 times
more stability than similar products,
according to the company. The OCX
can be locked to an atomic clock and
can output multiple sample rates.
The back panel features eight word
clock outputs including two super-
clock outputs for Pro Tools, two
AES/EBU outputs, two S/PDIF out-
Computer Music Journal
puts, and an atomic clock input and
thru connection. Calibration of the
frequency is reported as a rate better
than +/0.1 PPM. The clock is a
single rackmount unit.
The Isochrone OCX-V has many
similar features to the OCX with
added support for video standards and
clock distribution. In distributor
mode the clock is regenerated using
AFC and the clock signal output is
purer than the input source. The
clock generator supports PAL and
NTSC video as well as many HDTV
standards. Simultaneous pull-down/
pull-up functions of 0.1 percent and 4
percent are supported. The rear panel
connections include the same word
clock options as the OCX, along with
two AES/EBU and S/PDIF outputs,
an AES/EBU and S/PDIF input, an
AES/EBU and S/PDIF thru port, an
atomic clock input and thru connec-
tion, and four video outputs.
The Isochrone DA is a clock distri-
bution amplifier with four selectable
sources. AES and S/PDIF audio can be
used as a clock source. The connec-
tions are similar to the OCS with the
addition of AES/EBU and S/PDIF input
and thru ports, two word clock inputs,
and two additional AES/EBU outputs.
The device is a single rackmount unit.
The newest addition to the line of
Isochrone clock products is the 10M,
an atomic master clock. Rubidium, a
chemical element, is used instead of
a crystal oscillator to produce a clock
that is 100,000 times more stable,
said to retain sample accuracy for
eight days.
Figure 6. Antelope Audios
Isochrone OCX-V clock
generator and 10M atomic
clock.
Figure 6
Figure 7
The OSX is listed for US$ 1,695,
the OCX-V for US$ 2,895, and the
DA for US$ 1,095. The price for the
10M is not yet available. Contact:
Antelope Audio; telephone (+1) 415-
869-9661; fax (+1) 415-520-0954; elec-
tronic mail info@antelopeaudio.com;
Web www.antelopeaudio.com/.
Figure 7. The Tascam Fire-
One audio interface and
controller.
Tascam FireOne Audio Interface
and Controller
Tascams FireOne is a FireWire audio
interface with a number of shortcuts
keys and a jog wheel for controlling
DAWs (see Figure 7). The interface al-
lows for the recording and playing
Products of Interest
back of audio at up to 24-bit/192 kHz
sampling rates. Two microphone in-
puts with phantom power and pad
switches are located on the rear panel.
A 1/4-in. high-impedance guitar input
is located on the front panel alongside
two 1/4-in. headphone outputs with
level controls. The rear panel features
two line outputs, a footswitch input,
and MIDI input/output. The unit can
be bus-powered through the FireWire
connection or powered using the in-
cluded power supply.
The right-hand section of the top
panel includes a number of shortcut
keys, transport keys, and a weighted,
backlit jog wheel. The eight shortcut
keys are programmable for use with
the users choice of audio software.
The jog wheel light can be assigned
to a number of features, including
tempo. A stereo LED meter is also in-
cluded. The interface is packaged
with Abletons Live Lite 6 Tascam
Edition.
The FireOne is listed for US$ 299.
Contact: Tascam, 7733 Telegraph
Road, Montebello, California 90640,
USA; telephone (+1) 323-726-0303;
Web www.tascam.com/.
SonicBirth Graphical Audio Plug-
in Design Application
SonicBirth is a graphical modular ap-
plication for designing AudioUnit
(AU) plug-ins. The standalone appli-
cation consists of a range of elements
that are connected together into cir-
cuits, assigned a custom GUI, and
exported as an AU or VST plug-in.
The plug-ins can be created in 32- or
64-bit format.
The basic building blocks in Son-
icBirth are known as elements, and a
wide range of functions are supported
through these elements. Mathemati-
cal functions include basic operators,
rounding and truncating elements,
and logarithmic and trigonometric
93
 Figure 8. JazzMutants
Dexter touchscreen con-
troller.

converters. Further converters for

samples-to-milliseconds and linear-
to-dB are also available for use. A
range of waveforms can be generated
and a large selection of filters are in-
cluded. Along with standard low- and
high-pass filters, these include peak,
crossover, comb, formant, and reso-
nant filters. FFT functions for signal
analysis are also included, along with
many more audio-handling func-
tions. These individual elements are
linked together with graphic wires to
form circuits (the equivalent to a
Max/MSP or pd patch) and these cir-
cuits can be nested. Elements can
have multiple inputs and at least one
output. The main circuit forms the
audio interface with the host applica-
tion. Although the application is de-
signed to create AU instrument and
effects plug-ins, VST plug-ins can
also be exported. However, the devel- download. Contact: SonicBirth; elec- Channels not in use or muted tem-
opers do warn that the interfaces may tronic mail support@sonicbirth.com; porarily can be easily removed from
be slightly inferior in that format. Web sonicbirth.com/. the view. Users can switch to a Track
Users can add custom GUIs to their Edit mode that gives details of all the
plug-ins using a selection of knobs, parameters on a particular channel.
faders, buttons, and pads that they as- JazzMutant Dexter Multi-Touch These include a graphic equalizer dis-
sociate with the plug-in by drag-and- Controller play, bus sends, surround panning,
drop operations with image files. and effects parameters.
SonicBirth also includes 21 effects JazzMutants Dexter controller is the Live monitoring of up to eight
and synthesizer plug-ins. These plug- second multi-touch controller from channels in a surround-sound space
ins can be modified by the user. They the company. The previously released is available. The sound panner allows
include a limiter, gate, compressor, Lemur is a touchscreen controller for the use of simple finger move-
convolution reverberation processor, that includes a software editor for ments and more complex gestures to
20-band equalizer, MIDI note- creating custom interfaces to control set up the sound spatialization.
controlled filter, a valve distortion audio applications as well as video Among the gestures that can be inter-
simulator, and a hum remover. and lighting. The Dexter controller is preted are circular movements to ro-
Macintosh OS version 10.3.9 is re- designed specifically for use with tate sound sources and dragging two
quired along with QuickTime 7. A Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs). fingers apart to move all sound
54-page manual is included with the A graphic interface of the audio proj- sources from the center outwards.
application and the source code is ect is presented to the user and all pa- A number of widgets are available
available on the SourceForge.net Web rameters can be controlled using the for different views of the audio proj-
site. The current version of the appli- 12-in. touchscreen surface (see Figure ect. An Overview widget displays a
cation is SonicBirth 1.2.0. This is not 8). The main interface presented to miniature image of the mixer and the
compatible with earlier released ver- the user is a representation of the current state of each bank of tracks
sions. The developers hope to re- DAW mixer. Color is used to indicate can be investigated by dragging
write much of the application in 2008 the status of each track, for example across the mixer. A zoom feature is
for the SonicBirth 2 release. different shades of blue are used to available that allows the user to ad-
SonicBirth is available as a free indicate active and inactive tracks. just the resolution of the controller.

94 Computer Music Journal

Figure 9.The Apollo smart
console from SmartAV.
Higher resolution is possible by
zooming in on faders whereas zoom-
ing out provides a wider range and
less resolution. The controller is cur-
rently compatible with Cubase,
Nuendo, Logic Pro, and Sonar. Fur-
ther updates are planned to support
Pyramix and other audio applica-
tions. Communication with DAW
applications is by OSC over an Ether-
net connection, using a proprietary
message-sequencing format. A set of
plug-ins needs to be in installed to
make applications Dexter-compatible.
Contact: JazzMutant, 45 cours
Alsace Lorraine, 33000 Bordeaux,
France; telephone (+33) 556-460-344;
fax (+33) 556-792-215; electronic mail
info@jazzmutant.com; Web www
.jazzmutant.com/.
SmartAV Apollo Smart Console
for Logic Pro
The Apollo is the latest Smart Con-
sole from SmartAV that incorporates
the companys patented ARC Tech-
nology design (see Figure 9). This
console design aims to reduce the
number of actions needed to access
channels without having to move
away from the central mix position.
This latest implementation of ARC
Technology, MonARC, features a
touch sensor strip that runs along the
back of the console just below the
monitor. The Apollo features eight
channel strips but any single channel
or group of channels is instantly ac-
cessible using this strip. The chan-
nels are ordered from left to right and
Products of Interest
the number of channels that can be
displayed on the monitor depends on
its size. SmartAV indicate that an
Apple cinema display can support 42
channels although multiple monitors
allow for larger numbers. The chan-
nels can also be layered three times
and so the above-mentioned monitor
could actually support 126 channels.
This technology ensures that all con-
trols can be accessed in two moves or
less and allows a small console to be
used to control large-format audio
projects.
Although the console is designed
for Logic Pro it can be used to control
multiple engines including Nuendo
and Pro Tools using the Human Use
Interface (HUI). Digidesign TDM
hardware can be controlled and
95
automated using the console with
Logic. All Logic automation modes
are displayed, and dedicated buttons
are provided for each. Logic AU, third
party, and Pro Tools plug-ins are sup-
ported. A Digidesign Audio Engine
(DAE) is needed when running the
Pro Tools plug-ins.
The monitor section of the console
integrates with Logic using an envi-
ronment that contains the buses and
control elements needed to handle
the signal in the control room and
the headphone mixes. Dedicated but-
tons are included to control up to
twelve sources and 5.1 surround
sound in a threespeaker-set system.
The level of control room dim is ad-
justable and a reference control is in-
cluded. A talkback microphone (line
level audio on an XLR connecter on
rear panel) and multi-destination
talkback controls are also provided.
Each of the eight channel strips
includes three dedicated dual-
concentric equalizer encoders with
bright LED fan displays. The top and
bottom bands of the equalizer can be
switched between parametric and
shelving bands. Further bands and
controls are accessed from the active
panel section of the console, which is
self-assigning. This means that when
the user touches a channel parameter
that channel automatically becomes
the active one. Further, more detailed
parameters can then be set using the
active touchscreen. Other controls on
the channel strip include eight dual-
concentric touch sensitive rotary en-
coders, a touch sensitive motorized
auxiliary knob and nine auxiliary
select buttons, a pre/post button, a
53-segment channel level meter, a
dedicated pan control that displays
the surround position, a high-
resolution 100 mm motorized, touch
sensitive fader, and a 64 32 charac-
ter display for channel name and pa-
rameters. The active section features
a high contrast touch screen with
96
four dual-concentric touch sensitive
encoders on each side and a further
freely assignable dual concentric en-
coder, button, and motorized touch-
sensitive knob under the screen. The
touchscreen displays graphics equal-
izer curves, dynamic graphs, etc., and
the encoders allow the user to update
multiple parameters simultaneously
when used with plug-ins.
An Expert section is included in
which the user can define and control
groups, store and recall selections of
faders, copy and paste parameters
across channels, apply a function to
all channels, and set the MonARC
display to display the output or Aux-
iliary channels. The surround pan is
displayed on each channel and the
5.1 metering is displayed on the
monitoring section. A surround joy-
stick, with H-lock and V-lock but-
tons, for panning signals allows
intuitive panning control. A Macin-
tosh keyboard and mouse is inte-
grated into the console.
The Apollo console is listed for
US$19,900. Contact: Smart AV, Unit
28, Belltower Complex, 191 Parra-
matta Road, Auburn NSW 2144, Aus-
tralia; telephone (+61) 296-486-744;
fax (+61) 296-486-766; electronic
mail talktous@smartav.net; Web
www.smartav.net/. U.S. customers
contact: Mr. Joe Bean, Smart AV, Di-
rector of Sales, North America, 1130
Longview Dr., Hendersonville, Ten-
nessee 37075, USA; telephone (+1)
615-300-4827; fax (+1) 615-824-6586;
electronic mail jbean@smartav.net;
Web www.smartav.net/.
genoQs Machines Octopus
Hardware MIDI Sequencer
The Octopus from genoQs Machines
is a MIDI sequencer that features 258
pushbuttons and 21 rotary encoders
(see Figure 10). The grid of pushbut-
tons on the left of the top panel is a
Computer Music Journal
hardware step sequencer. Each row of
the grid has 16 steps and there are ten
rows, each forming a different track.
The user programs a sequence by se-
lecting buttons on various tracks.
This visible grid of pushbuttons rep-
resents a page of ten tracks and 144
pages (each with ten tracks) are avail-
able. Sequences can also be chained
together and so can be longer than
the 16 steps directly visible on the
front panel. The rotary encoders and
remaining pushbutton controls are
used to control attributes at various
levels of the hierarchical structure
from the step, to the track, to the
page level.
Every pushbutton has an associ-
ated LED to indicate the status. The
LEDs on the sequencer step grid light
up in green when they are selected
and when the sequence is played a
red chaselight moves across the grid
so the user can keep track of the posi-
tion in the sequence. The values for
the velocity, pitch, duration, start
time, and MIDI continuous con-
troller can be adjusted for each step.
Further up the hierarchical chain, the
velocity, pitch, length, start time, po-
sition, direction, groove, MIDI con-
tinuous controller, and MIDI channel
assignments can be controlled by the
user for each track. This means that
whole tracks can be transposed,
shifted in time, changed in tempo,
etc. Finally, the velocity and pitch
can be controlled at the page level.
The user can record notes or chords
onto a track from an outside source.
Chords of notes can also be manually
entered using the controls in the spi-
ral on the right-hand side of the panel
and strumming patterns can be con-
figured. The user can jump between
pages in real time to edit sequences
and tracks. Track resolution is re-
ported as 1/192 of a note. Two sets of
MIDI inputs/outputs are included on
the rear panel for connecting the unit
to a synthesizer or other MIDI com-
Figure 10. The Octopus
MIDI sequencer from
genoQs Machines.
patible device. USB and lamp outputs
are also provided.
A number of videos of the se-
quencer in action are available on the
product Web site. The product man-
ual is also available on the Web site
and gives detailed information on the
functionality of the Octopus.
The Octopus is listed for around
US$ 3,225. Contact: genoQs Ma-
chines, Vogelsangstrasse 76, 70197
Stuggart, Germany; telephone (+49)
711-620-3600; fax (+49) 711-633-2523;
electronic mail info@genoqs.net; Web
www.genoqs.net/.
Core Sound TetraMic Ambisonic
Microphone
The TetraMic from Core Sound is a
portable, single point, surround
sound Ambisonic microphone (see
Figure 11). The four individual elec-
tret condenser capsules each have a
diaphragm of 12 mm and are designed
as cardioid pattern microphones. The
TetraMic records four channels of au-
dio in A format and the channels can
be transformed into B format using
supplied software. The four channels
can then be interpreted as a range of
microphone configurations and pat-
terns including omnidirectional, sub-
cardioid, cardioid, super-cardioid,
hyper-cardioid, and figure-eight.
Combinations of these configura-
tions are also possible with Blumlein
pairs, height-enabled Blumlein pairs,
XY, and binaural (using HRTF) setups
supported. The channels in B format
can be interpreted as monophonic,
stereo, binaural, four and six speaker
arrangements, 5.1, 7.1, and 10.1 sur-
round playback formats.
The microphone comes with a cus-
tomized version of David McGriffys
Visual Virtual Microphone (VVMic)
software application. This software is
an integral part of the microphone
package. At the construction stage,
the microphone capsules are pre-
matched according to frequency re-
sponse and sensitivity. The capsules
Products of Interest
Figure 11. The TetraMic
ambisonic microphone
from Core Sound.
are then tested together in the
tetrahedral configuration and a set
of calibration and correction files is
generated for each microphone. The
accompanying software carries out
equalizations based on these calibra-
tion files. Shelf filter functions, A to
B format conversion, and decoding
functions for playback configuration
are also included. The software cur-
rently runs only on the Windows op-
eration system but a VST plug-in for
Macintosh computers and support-
ing applications for Linux are being
developed.
The corrected frequency response
of the microphone is 30 Hz to 18.5
kHz, +/ 2 dB. The maximum SPL per
capsule is 135 dB and the level of self-
noise is reported as 19 dBA per cap-
sule. A 6-pin mini-XLR (M) jack at
the base of the microphone carries
the four microphone signals along
with power and ground. Detailed
information on cable options is
97

available on the company Web site. A
number of phantom power adapters
are recommended by Core Sound and
potential users should consult this
information as other adapters may in-
troduce additional noise into the sig-
nal. A shock-mounted microphone
clip is included which fits to any
standard threaded microphone stand.
The TetraMic is listed for US$ 999.
Contact: Core Sound, 300 Ogden Av-
enue, Teaneck, New Jersey 07666,
USA; telephone (+1) 201-801-0812;
electronic mail moskowit@
core-sound.com; Web www
.core-sound.com/.
Milab Surround and Condenser
Microphones
The Milab DC-196 is a condenser mi-
crophone with a variable pattern,
switchable between omnidirectional,
cardioid, and figure-eight. Two large
rectangular membrane capsules are
mounted on a rubber shockmount. A
switchable 12 dB pre-attenuator is
also included and the Sound Pressure
Level is rated at more than 144 dB
with 1 percent THD at 1kHz with
the attenuator on. The frequency re-
sponse is 20 Hz to 20 kHz and each
microphone is measured and pack-
aged with a graph of its particular fre-
quency response. The sensitivity is
21.5mV/Pa 1dB at 1kHz and the
A-weighted noise level is reported as
12 dB. The microphone features
built-in pop protection for vocal
recording. Phantom power is needed
for operation and the output is on a
3-pin XLR connector. The micro-
phone weighs 230 g and is 145 mm
long by 27 mm wide.
The newest microphone from this
Swedish company is the SRND 360
coincident surround microphone (see
Figure 12). The rectangular capsules
from the DC-196 are used here also.
Three matched capsules are placed at
98
Figure 12. Milabs SRND
360 surround microphone.
120 to each other and a variety of
configurations are used to produce
six individual cardioid outputs at 60
to each other. The outputs can be
used in stereo, multi-channel, and
surround formats. The microphone is
packaged with a control unit, power
adapter, 5-pin XLR cable, and an elas-
tic suspension with a stand adapter.
The output connections on the con-
trol unit are left, center, and right
front, with corresponding left, center,
and right rear outputs. This allows
the user to record directly to 5.0/5.1
and 6.0/6.1 surround systems. Stereo
recording is also possible using two of
the three available direct capsules.
This provides a setup that is equiva-
lent to a coincident X/Y stereo mi-
crophone with a 120 capsule angle.
The frequency response of the micro-
phone is reported as 20 Hz20 kHz.
The maximum SPL is 130 dB with 1
percent THD at 1kHz. The noise level
is 12 dB (A-weighted) and the sensi-
Computer Music Journal
tivity at 1kHz is 17.5 mV/Pa +/ 1dB.
The microphone weights 685 g and
measures 120 60 mm.
Contact: Milab Microphones, P.O.
Box 1342, S-251, 13 Helsingborg,
Sweden; telephone (+46) 42-381-620;
fax (+46) 42-136-350; electronic mail
milab@milab.com; Web www
.milabmic.com/.
Audio-Technica Compact and
Stereo Shotgun Microphones
Among the new additions to Audio-
Technicas range of broadcast and
production equipment are the
AT875R compact microphone and a
set of stereo microphones, the
BP04027 and BP4029. The AT875R is
less than seven inches long and is
recommended for field production.
The microphone is phantom-powered
and provides a frequency response of
100 Hz20 kHz, thus minimizing
handling and mechanical noise at the
low end of the frequency spectrum.
Sound input levels up to 127 dB SPL
are possible. A 3-pin XLR-M type
connector is included and the micro-
phone is packaged with a windscreen,
protective case, microphone clip, and
an adapter bushing for connection to
digital video cameras.
The BP4027 and BP4029 models
are stereo microphones intended for
broadcast, sound recording, and video
use. Each features independent line-
cardioid and figure-eight elements in
a Mid-Side (M-S) configuration. A
switchable internal matrix system al-
lows the user to select between wide
and narrow stereo (left/right) output,
and M-S output. A low frequency
roll-off filter is also included. Both
models use phantom power. The
BP4027 is a 15-in. microphone and
the BP4029 is a 9-in. model.
The AT875R microphone is listed
for US$ 240. The BP4027 and BP4029
are listed for US$ 1,100 each. Con-
tact: Audio-Technica, 1221 Com-
merce Drive, Stow, Ohio 44224,
USA; telephone (+1) 330-686-2600;
fax (+1) 330-686-0719; electronic mail
sales@atus.com; Web www
.audio-technica.com/.
Yellow Tools Freedom Effects
Plug-in and Origami Convolution
Reverberation Plug-in
Yellow Tools is a company that fo-
cuses on software sampling. The
companys Independence range in-
cludes a sampler with an 18-GB
sample library and a number of in-
strumental libraries. The company
has also developed three software ef-
fects plug-ins: Origami, Freedom, and
Freedom Surround.
Origami is a convolution reverber-
ation application that uses the im-
pulse response (IR) from real rooms to
create authentic sounding reverbera-
tion. Twenty-five impulse responses
are included with the plug-in and an
audio import option allows the user
to input their own room responses.
Three independent snapshot slots are
available, and an unlimited number
of insert effects can be added to each
slot. The order of effects can easily be
changed using drag and drop func-
tionality. The interface is a virtual
rack design and the order of insert ef-
fects represents those applied to the
signal. Host and MIDI automation
and learn functions are included.
Multi-channel audio files are sup-
ported and the user can chose to
process files in a format that is inde-
pendent of the input/output format.
This allows the user, for example, to
process three channels only in a 5.1
setup. Once a selected room is cho-
sen for processing the reverberation a
graphic interface is displayed that al-
lows the user to position the audio
source with the room using a speaker
icon in a 3D matrix. In addition to
the reverberation effects, a four-band
equalizer, gate, channel manager,
and XY panorama control are also
included. The channel manager in-
cludes functions to help the user edit
the input channels separately and add
delay, invert phase, and synchronize
the delay time.
Freedom is a virtual effects rack
with more than 40 effects and filters.
This plug-in also incorporates the
Origami convolution reverberation
processor. Four-band, six-band, and
vintage three-band equalizers are in-
cluded. The filters available include
2D, X, multi-mode, low-cut, and
high-cut filters as well as a filter fol-
lower. The latest version of the soft-
ware (v. 1.5) introduced new 10-pole
(60 dB) and 12-pole (72 dB) filter
slopes for the low-, high-, and band-
pass filters. A dynamics processor is
also included with a compressor,
limiter, and gate. Chorus, flanger,
phaser, vinylizer, tremolo, delay,
echo, doubler, ring modulator, and
range of distortions are also available
for processing the audio. A new set
of microphone, cabinet, and pre-
amplifier modelers has been added to
the 1.5 version of Freedom.
The Surround edition of Freedom
includes all the filters and effects of
the basic edition with the ability to
switch between various surround for-
mats up to 8.1. As with Origami, this
allows the user to set the input and
output formats of the software to be
independent from the original source
file. All the insert filters and effects
are fully surround-compatible. The
Origami impulse response-based re-
verberation effects are also included.
Origami is available as a VST and
Audio Units (AU) plug-in on Macin-
tosh computers and as a VST plug-in
on Windows computers. The Free-
dom plug-ins are compatible with
VST, RTAS, and AU on Mac OS X
and with VST and RTAS on comput-
ers running Windows XP. Potential
Products of Interest
users should consult the Web site for
system requirements.
Origami is listed for US$ 249, Free-
dom for US$ 449, and the Surround
edition of Freedom for US $ 999.
Contact: Yellow Tools, Printzstrasse
4, 76139 Karlsruhe, Germany; (+49)
721-627-389-00; fax (+49) 721-627-
389-06; electronic mail info@
yellotools.com; Web www
.yellowtools.com/.
OSCulator Macintosh OS X
Software Interface for the
Nintendo Wii Remote
The OSCulator is an application that
translates the movements of the Nin-
tendo Wii remote controller into
OSC messages for use with MIDI se-
quencers, Kyma, and other OSC-
compatible software. The Wii remote
is a one-handed remote motion-
sensitive gamepad for Nintendos Wii
console. The Bluetooth wireless pro-
tocol is used for communication.
When OSC messages are received by
the OSCulator, default MIDI control-
change messages or user-defined mes-
sages are created. A virtual MIDI
output is created when the applica-
tion is launched and this is used to
send MIDI messages to any applica-
tion that supports CoreMIDI. The
user can specify the MIDI channel
and mapping system. A Kyma map-
ping system is included that can be
used to map incoming messages to
Kyma Hot Values. The user can spec-
ify which controls on the Wii remote
to use. The buttons, acceleration, in-
frared, or joystick control can all be
translated to OSC messages for con-
trol of audio and MIDI applications.
If acceleration is chosen as the
control type, this can be specified as
the raw acceleration of the x-, y-, and
z-axes of the Wii remote (or Nunchuk)
or as the Pitch, Yaw, Raw, and Scalar
acceleration parameters. The scalar
99
 Figure 13. TC Electronics
Pro Tools|HD plug-ins.
Clockwise from top left:
Harmony4, UnWrap, Non-
Lin2, and the DVR2.

acceleration is a combination of all

the accelerations and is an attempt to
interpret the strength of the move-
ment. The Nunchuk is an additional
motion sensor controller for the Nin-
tendo Wii with an analog stick and
two buttons. The infrared and joy-
stick controls use the x and y coordi-
nates only. A smoothing filter is
available for use with each type of
control and can be adjusted by the
user with a slider. All settings can be
saved as an OSCulator document and
can be moved between computers.
The OSCulator can be set up to cre-
ate an empty document when the
application is launched or to auto-
matically open any documents that
were running when the OSCulator
was closed. It can also be set to auto-
matically search for a Wii remote
when a document is opened or a new
document created. The application
can also be used to generate key- aligned at sample precision, the im- ambiences, percussive sounds, re-
strokes from the Wii remote con- age can be widened or narrowed, fil- verse reverberation, and a new
troller. The OSCulator displays an ters and envelopes changed, and the twisted effect. All three of these
icon on the computer desktop to indi- amount of Centre and LFE channel plug-ins include a range of presets,
cate connection with the Wii remote controlled. and further presets can be imported
and with Kyma. Among the other Pro Tools|HD from the System 6000.
OSCulator can be registered for plug-ins available from the company Further TC Electronics plug-ins
amounts from US$ 20. Contact: Os- are three reverberation effects ported for Pro Tools|HD include two master-
culator; electronic mail camille@ from the companys System 6000 au- ing plug-ins and a vocalizer. The
osculator.net ; Web www.osculator dio processors. The VSS3 is a stereo MD3 stereo mastering plug-in in-
.net/. source reverberation plug-in with de- cludes a multi-band dynamics proces-
tailed control of the image depth and sor and a brick-wall limiter. Both
spatialization. A chaotic real room- offer dual mono and stereo 48-bit pro-
TC Electronics Pro Tools|HD type response is used and a wide dy- cessing. The dynamics processor fea-
Plug-ins namic range is available. The DV2R tures three frequency bands and a
is a vintage reverberator that emu- four-band parametric equalizer. The
The latest in the line of Pro Tools|HD lates the EMT250 digital reverberator low-distortion limiter prevents
plug-ins from TC Electronics is a unit. The modulation, spectral bal- downstream distortion of the signal
stereo-to-surround up-converter plug- ance, and saturation characteristics and features three times up-sampled
in. The UnWrap plug-in allows the of the original device have been processing. The Master X3 is a soft-
user to convert from stereo and Left maintained. High-resolution parame- ware version of the companys Final-
Total/Right Total (LtRt) sources to ters with a lowered noise floor, ex- izer hardware mastering processor.
5.1 surround sound, while retaining tendable bandwidth, and control over The plug-in features three-band pro-
the width and timbre of the original the amount of chorus also feature in cessing with adjustable crossovers
mix (see Figure 13). Double precision this plug-in. The third reverberator and a compressor, expander, and lim-
processing is employed and the plug- ported from the System 6000 is the iter on each band.
in can operate at sampling rates of 48 NonLin2 stereo effects plug-in. The Finally, the Harmony4 plug-in al-
to 96 kHz. All channels can be time- NonLin2 can generate compact vocal lows the user to create harmony

100 Computer Music Journal

tracks from a single vocal track. The
added voices can be created to sound
like the lead singer or like four differ-
ent singers. Individual voice control
of a range of humanization features is
available and a range of special effects
are also possible.
Free trials of the plug-ins are avail-
able from the TC Electronics Web
site. The plug-ins are listed for
US$ 999 (UnWrap), US$ 875 (VSS3),
US$ 745 (DV2R), US$ 495 (NonLin2),
US$ 1,595 (MD3), US$ 625 (Master
X3), and US$ 999 (Harmony4). Con-
tact: TC Electronic A/S, Sindalsvej
34, DK-8240 Risskov, Denmark; tele-
phone (+45) 8742-7000; fax (+45) 8742-
7010; electronic info@tcelectronic
.com; Web www.tcelectronics.com/.
U.S. customers contact: TC Electron-
ics, 5706 Corsa Avenue, Suite 107,
Westlake Village, California 91362,
USA; (+1) 818-665-4900; fax (+1) 818-
665-4901; electronic mail infous@
tcelectronic.com; Web www
.tcelectronics.com/.
Minnetonka AudioTools Batch
Processing Software and Pro
Tools Dolby Plug-in
AudioTools Batch Pro from Minne-
tonka Audio Software is an auto-
mated audio processing tool. Any
editing and encoding functions, plug-
in processes, external input/output
interfaces, and optional Dolby codec
processes can be configured in a
chain. The editing functions include
trim, concatenate, gain change, nor-
malize, insert silence, fade, and cross-
fade. Sample rate and bit-depth
conversion, channel assignment, and
conversion between WAV, AIFF, and
BWF file formats are possible. Along
with these built-in functions, the ap-
plication provides integration with
external analog and digital proces-
sors, VTS plug-ins, and Minnetonka
codecs (as an optional extra purchase).
The user can specify input files and
file groups, and automatic grouping
functions are included. The input/
output file settings and associated pro-
cessing chains are saved as jobs, and
multiple jobs can be scheduled for ex-
ecution. File names and hierarchical
folders can be specified for the output
files. A monitor for the job queue is
included and the status, including de-
tails of errors, job assignments, and
completion notification, can be sent
to the user in an automatically-
generated electronic mail message.
The job log contains details of input/
output file specifications, the pro-
cessing chain used, and the results.
An application with a client/server
architecture is also available in addi-
tion to the single machine version for
distributing processing over multiple
computers. An audio player is inte-
grated into the application so that the
processing chain or specific proces-
sors can be auditioned. The applica-
tion is available for Macintosh and
Windows platforms.
Minnetonka Audio Software has
also released a SurCode Dolby Pro
Logic II encoder/decoder in RTAS
plug-in format for Pro Tools. The
plug-in allows Pro Tools users to en-
code surround sound audio into a
stereo signal. The input is a six-
channel surround signal and this is
routed to output as a Left Total/
Right Total (Lt/Rt) stereo stream.
A decoder is also included. The
plug-in is compatible with Pro Tools
versions 7.2 and 6.9 running on
Macintosh and Windows operating
systems.
AudioTools Batch Pro is listed for
US$ 1,495 and the SurCode plug-in
for US$ 795. Contact: Minnetonka
Audio Software, 17113 Minnetonka
Boulevard, Suite 300, Minnetonka,
Minnesota 55345, USA; telephone
(+1) 952-449-0318; electronic mail
info@minnetonkaaudio.com; Web
www.minnetonkaaudio.com/.
Products of Interest
Primera PTDevSuite SDK for
Automated Disc Publishing
The PTDevSuite Software Develop-
ment Kit (SDK) from Primera is an
Application Programming Interface
(API) for the Windows operating sys-
tem that allows users to integrate
disc publishing into their own soft-
ware programs for use with the com-
panys Bravo range of disc publishers.
The Bravo II, BravoPro, Bravo XR, and
Bravo XRP units are supported. These
publishers allow the user to print and
duplicate CDs, DVDs, and Blue-ray
(BD-R) discs. The SDK consists of
two software modules, the PTRobot
and PTBurn.
The PTRobot is a DLL-based API
for applications that already include a
burn engine. Disc movements be-
tween all positions and direct-to-disc
inkjet printing are supported. A
sample application in C++ is in-
cluded. The PTBurn module has an
integrated burn engine along with the
features found in the PTRobot mod-
ule. The engine is licensed from
Sonic Solutions. The module is de-
signed to monitor a shared folder on a
Windows network. Jobs that are sub-
mitted to this folder by client appli-
cations will be used to burn and print
discs using the associated Primera
hardware. The client application can
run on any Windows, Macintosh, or
Linux operating system and can be
used to create an ASCII text file for a
publishing job request. A sample ap-
plication in C++ is also included for
this module of the API. The SDK is
available free to developers upon reg-
istration with the company and runs
on Windows XP, Windows 2000, and
Windows Vista operating systems.
Contact: Primera, Two Carlson
Parkway North, Plymouth, Min-
nesota 55447-4446, USA; telephone
(+1) 763-475-6676, toll-free in the US
(+1) 800-97-2772; fax (+1) 763-475-
6677; Web www.primera.com/.
101